Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department Chief Investigator Ronnie Adkins said that on the evening of June 11, the sheriff’s department received the report of a residential burglary on Maple Lane where several items of jewelry and a handgun were taken.

Adkins said the following evening, he was contacted by officials with the Madison County (N.C.) Sheriff’s Department. Officials there said they had received a report of a residential burglary in which about $100,000 in cash had been taken from a safe, according to Adkins.

Adkins said the victim in both burglaries was the same person, as she owned homes in both Unicoi County and Madison County.

“When they called and informed us of the burglary over there in which $100,000 in cash was taken from a safe inside the home, we immediately believed that the same person or persons was responsible for both burglaries so we began a joint investigation,” Adkins said.

Officials quickly developed the Broyleses as suspects, Adkins said, adding that Dawn Broyles was an former daughter-in-law of the victim. Unicoi County Sheriff Mike Hensley said he was familiar with the suspects, dealing with them when he worked as an investigator. Hensley said based on his experience with the trio, he felt investigators were on the right track.

“When we developed the suspects, the sheriff was familiar enough with them to tell us that we were headed in the right direction, he told me that from day one,” Adkins said.

Adkins said an investigation of the three revealed they had been spending large amounts of money. Investigators also learned Cecil and Dawn Broyles were staying in a motel in Greene County. Surveillance of that motel began early Thursday morning.

“We kept the motel under surveillance until they arrived early Friday morning,” Adkins said.

The two were taken into custody by Greene County Sheriff’s Office officials and brought into the GCSO for questioning. After questioning, were charged for their roles in the burglaries, Adkins said.

Christopher Broyles later turned himself into Madison County officials and was taken into custody.

Madison County Chief Deputy Michael Garrison said investigators learned the allegedly stolen cash was taken from the home in two separate burglaries. In the first, Garrison said Dawn and Chris Broyles entered the victim’s Mars Hill residence and stole around $12,000. He said Dawn and Cecil Broyles subsequently broke into the residence to take the remaining cash from the safe.

Garrison also said Christopher and Dawn Broyles were responsible for the Unicoi County burglary.

According to Garrison, the stolen money was being used to support one of the suspects’ $500-a-day drug habit, and Garrison said officials recovered three vehicles purchased with the cash. He also said around $9,000 was recovered from the Greene County motel and another $2,000 has since been recovered.

Hensley commended the work of the investigators involved in the case, as he said the use of cash is often difficult to track.

In Unicoi County, Dawn Broyles faces charges of aggravated burglary and theft over $500. A $50,000 corporate bond has been set and she is scheduled to appear in Unicoi County Sessions Court on Aug. 9. In Madison County, she has been charged with two counts of breaking and entering, two counts of felony larceny and one count of safecracking.

Christopher Broyles faces charges of felony larceny and felony breaking and entering in Madison County. Adkins said charges in Unicoi County of aggravated burglary and theft over $1,000 are pending.

Cecil Broyles was charged in Madison County with felony breaking and entering, felony larceny and safecracking.